


Zinnia Crowns - A BenKaru One-Shot Collection

by mira_las_estrellas



Category: Star Trek
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Flower Language, Fluff, I'm late for the Big Bang but never too late to appreciate the canon space husbands, M/M, Starfleet Academy, To be updated accordingly, benkaru
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-10-07 07:49:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10355607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mira_las_estrellas/pseuds/mira_las_estrellas
Summary: A collection of short stories focused on Ben and Hikaru Sulu, ranging from short canon drabbles to AUs. Will contain fluff, a bit of angst, and more fluff.





	1. Tulips

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings, everyone! Ben and Hikaru Sulu deserve much more love than what they get, so I'm going out of my comfort zone and writing ~love stuff~ to help them be properly appreciated. You might notice a certain awkwardness, result of no prior experience in writing romance - or who knows, it might even be good! 
> 
> The collection will update randomly, usually with a one-shot or a drabble, all focused on the Sulu couple. And with no further ado - engage.

Benjamin Jung was fairly average. Average in looks, average in grades, average in his social life and career prospects with Starfleet. Most of the time, he was content with his situation; he didn’t need to outshine anyone to be happy with himself. He enjoyed his studies and friends, and might have enjoyed his life fully if it hadn’t been for one Hikaru Sulu.

Hikaru Sulu was not average.

Hikaru Sulu, as Ben learned through his own… investigations, was brilliant both academically and practically. Hikaru Sulu, studying as a future pilot, was probably going to be deployed in an important starship. Hikaru Sulu was a fencer and had a knowledge of botany that rivalled that of actual exobotany students.

And Hikaru Sulu was also _offensively_ hot.

There was nothing average about Hikaru Sulu. Which of course, meant that Ben had no chances with him - and of course, that meant he had fallen for a certain Japanese cadet. _Hard_.

That might have been the reason why he was currently gaping like a fish, in front of one Hikaru Sulu giving him a hopeful look. A hopeful look directed at him. Because Hikaru Sulu, the very definition of “out of your league” had just asked if he could offer Ben a drink.

Blinking again, mostly in realizing that he was probably ruining whatever inexistent chances he already had, he managed to squeak out a hesitant “Yes?” just in time for blood to rush to his cheeks, enough for both his surprise and that extremely undignified squeak. He thought he had finished with high-pitched noises five years ago. 

"Yes!" he repeated, this time sounding like the normal adult he was - albeit maybe a bit overexcited. He didn't have time to worry about how his excitement might have come across, because Hikaru released a breath and grinned. 

“Oh? That’s great. Great. Thank you. I- I need to run, I’m pretty late for fencing class, but I’ll see you around?” Ben nodded, and Hikaru smiled at him before taking off.

Hikaru smiled at him. 

Hikaru Sulu had just asked him out. Ben felt like he should've been jumping with delight - yet he couldn't do anything more than blink and gape at the spot where the other cadet had been standing just five seconds ago.

_Hikaru Sulu_ had just asked him out. Hikaru Sulu had smiles at him. Hikaru Sulu had even seemed to be relieved that Ben had accepted. 

Hikaru Sulu was actually interested in someone as average as Ben Jung.

“If you’re done being a lovestruck teenager, we have classes, too.”

Ben blinked at the voice interrupting his thoughts. Right. Felix had been standing there the entire time. He turned towards his classmate and grinned, partly in apology, partly in everything but. The other shook his head in exasperation, a fond smile giving him out, and Ben ran after him chuckling. 

Five hours later, Ben spotted a certain Japanese cadet in the hallways, and they smiled, and waved, and talked, and everything was awkwardly _perfect_. 


	2. Red Rose Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flowershop AU. In which Hikaru owns a flower shop and a man keeps visiting.

Hikaru is woken by the bell atop the door of his shop and his first thought is _Shit, I fell asleep_. His second thought is not exactly a thought, as much as a realization that he has a client.  
  
His third thought is that he should move and help the client. He didn't seem to have ever stepped in a flower shop before.  
  
"Good morning, may I help you?" he asks, approaching from behind the desk. His voice is still drowsy and he is quite sure his face is not exactly fresh as the flowers around them - still, it doesn't matter. People should pay attention to his flowers, not him.  
  
"I need..." the man starts, then hesitates. "I need flowers. For a girl," he finally states. He avoids Hikaru's eyes, but it's nothing new. Some men are embarrassed by the simple thought of buying their girlfriend flowers. Hikaru doesn't say anything; he simply nods and motions to the pots surrounding them.  
  
"I can probably help with that."  
  
The other man chuckles at the joke, shoulders visibly relaxing, and Hikaru finds himself smiling too.  
  
"Roses, I'm assuming? Pink, yellow, red?"  
  
His client blinks. "There is a difference?" he whispers, and if he doesn't stop biting the inside of his cheek anytime soon Hikaru might actually feed him a healing tea himself.  
  
"Color and number influence the meaning. Yellow symbolizes friendship; excellent in case you need to reject someone, or just show your love to a friend. Pink is for admiration, appreciation. Red stands for romantic love. There are other colors, of course, blue for the unattainable, black for mourning, white for purity... So, what's the occasion?"  
  
The stranger pales, eyes fixed on a begonia near his feet.  
  
"I think I'll take a pink one, this once."  
  
Hikaru almost asks what's wrong. Almost. But it's not his business, and he needs coffee, so it takes him all of two seconds to decide that smiling, nodding, and bringing the man his order is the wisest course of action. The stranger bows on his way out, a simple dip of the head, muttering a 'Thank you' so soft that Hikaru almost misses it; then the bell rings again, the door clicks shut, and Hikaru is alone, with only the humidity and the buzz of his fan to keep him company.  
  
He shakes his heads and moves on to rearrange a delivery.

* * *

 The man returns exactly one week later. It's still a Saturday, still a lazy, sunny day, but today Hikaru is powered by the magic of coffee. Bless whoever invented it. 

He acknowledges the stranger with a nod as soon as he steps in, but focuses on his current client, a young girl looking for a new addition to her garden. When she thanks him and leaves, he turns around and grins. 

"Welcome back! So, what can I do for you today?" 

The stranger smiles back, lips barely twitching. Hikaru likes it. It's shy and sweet. 

"I need more flowers. Something else." 

"Did the girl not appreciate the rose?" 

"No- no, she did. I think." His voice breaks, he bites his lips, fixes his gaze on the closest plant. Hikaru opts not to comment once again. 

"Uhm, do other flowers have meanings too?" the man asks, glancing around.

 "Yes, of course. Frailty, beauty, admiration, innocence - or arrogance, sickness, if you need to say that..." he throws a glance at the other's pale face and makes a split-second decision. "I wouldn't suggest sending a bouquet like that to a girl, though."

 The man chuckles, smiling again. Hikaru really likes that smile. 

"What flowers say innocence?" 

* * *

He's back the week after, and the one after that. Hikaru learns that his name is Ben; that he is an accountant; that he somehow doesn't need caffeine to survive. He's cute, he's funny; he's responsible and determined. Hikaru likes him. 

Not a little. Hikaru might like him a lot.

"You said something about... Strength, last week?" 

"Snapdragons, yes"  

"I'll have those, then. Thank you, Hikaru." 

"You're welcome, I'm here to sell flowers after all. You are doing some very extensive courting to that girl." 

Ben blinks for a few moments, then smiles. It's a fake smile, Hikaru is not an idiot, but it's not his place to question it. No matter how often Ben visits, he's still there to help him with flowers.

They both keep chatting amiably, fully aware of the tension hanging between them, and Ben leaves as soon as Hikaru is finished wrapping his flowers. 

Hikaru thinks the girl is very lucky. 

* * *

"It's my sister, actually." 

Ben has been coming for six weeks now. Sometimes he comes during weekdays. He doesn't buy flowers then, just talks with Hikaru. They had coffee together once and Ben almost spit it out. Since then, Hikaru has made a point of preparing tea for him, instead.

"Your... Sister?" 

Ben nods, wetting his lips and refusing to meet Hikaru's gaze. 

"She died last month. The flowers are for her." 

Hikaru feels himself pale and puts his shears down on the register counter. 

Well, he has always known he is an idiot, but this is a new low. Of course, though, he can't do anything except mumble 'I'm sorry'. 

"It's fine. Really. I just... I needed to say goodbye, I guess." 

"Yeah, that is something most people want to do. I-I should've known."

Ben nods, lips thin and pale. 

"I'm late for work, I should go." 

Hikaru waves him off. He doesn't take the shears up again, and just sits instead, letting his flowers soothe him.

* * *

The doorbell rings, and Hikaru opens his eyes and jumps to his feet. 

He forgot coffee again. He was about to fall asleep on the job.

"Hey there." 

Two words from the familiar voice, and most of the tiredness disappears. In the door, for the first time in two weeks, stands Ben. 

He releases a breath he has been holding for far too long. 

"Hey." 

"Can I... have a few roses?" Ben's hands are fumbling with his hat, eyes fixed on random flowers, just like the first time he had stepped into the shop. 

"Color?" 

"Uh... Red. I don't know how many, just... Whatever you prefer?" 

Hikaru nods and walks over to his roses, plucking a single one out. It's a dark red, just like blood, when he is too careless. 

Ben mumbles a quick 'Thank you' and walks out of the store, the bell's trilling the only sound to properly greet him. 

_That was awkward._

Hikaru slumps back on his seat, playing with a budding group of lillies without paying too much attention. 

The bell above the door rings again, and Hikaru looks up, ready to move on with his work day at the very least. 

Except he can't, because Ben is standing on the doorsill. Hikaru blinks twice and approaches him from around the counter.

"Did you forget someth--"

He stops dead in his tracks.

Ben doesn't say anything. He doesn't meet his gaze either.

Hikaru is only guessing, actually. He's too busy staring at the flower.

"Is that..."

"If-if you want it to be, yes."

Hikaru stares at the rose, then at the man holding it out for him. He smiles and takes it as gently as possible.

"Ben, would you have tea with me?"

"Is it a date?" Ben smirks. He actually smirks. And in a display of similar uncharacteristic courage, Hikaru winks, something he will probably regret for the rest of this relationship.

"If you want it to be."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So writing Hikaru is about as easy as drinking while hanging upside-down. I'd still like to think I managed some AU fluff? It was fun, and of course I was going to abuse flowers this openly. It definitely won't be the last time. 
> 
> If any of you have prompts and/or requests, feel free to share! I have several of these planned, but I'm always open to your ideas!

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed the story, leave a comment? And if you didn't, all the more reason to leave one! Feedback makes writers happy.


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